Big Dan's Big News Apr 22, 2008

● Historic primary election here in Pennsylvania today!

● Democrats could set Pa. record for primary turnout

New Daily Gas Record for NEPA: $3.50

● NEPA AAA Gas Price Index


Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.502 $3.692 $3.855 $4.444
Yesterday $3.489 $3.678 $3.840 $4.428
Month Ago $3.245 $3.421 $3.572 $4.240
Year Ago $2.822 $2.975 $3.107 $2.928

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.502 4/22/2008
Dsl. $4.444 4/22/2008


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CBS: Head of Department of Veterans Affairs involved in cover-up of American veterans' suicide epidemic; purposely misinforming the American public of veterans suicide numbers...



Katz email:

● (CBS) The Department of Veterans Affairs came under fire again Monday, this time in California federal court where its facing a national lawsuit by veterans rights groups accusing the agency of not doing enough to stem a looming mental health crisis among veterans. As part of the lawsuit, internal e-mails raise questions as to whether top officials deliberately deceived the American public about the number of veterans attempting and committing suicide. CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian reports.

● America suffers an epidemic of suicides among traumatised army veterans. More American military veterans have been committing suicide than US soldiers have been dying in Iraq, it was claimed yesterday. At least 6,256 US veterans took their lives in 2005, at an average of 17 a day, according to figures broadcast last night. Former servicemen are more than twice as likely than the rest of the population to commit suicide. Such statistics compare to the total of 3,863 American military deaths in Iraq since the invasion in 2003 - an average of 2.4 a day, according to the website ICasualties.org.

● NYTimes: A second department e-mail message from Dr. Katz shown at the trial starts with “Shh!” and refers to the 12,000 veterans per year who attempt suicide while under department treatment. “Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before someone stumbles on it?” it asks.


Special commentary by Big Dan: "I invented a new word for politicians: "MIS-MEANT"...as in, "Dr. Katz MIS-MEANT it, when he said there is NO suicide epidemic among American veterans". If anyone uses this word...I WANT ROYALTIES!!!!!! ("Mis-Meant": copyright Big Dan; 4/21/2008; patent pending...)

● Brad Blog: The Pennsylvania Primary: Democracy of the Gods. Tuesday's Election Will be 'Unrecountable, Unverifiable, and Unauditable'...

● Yesterday, the New York Times exposed a secret Pentagon campaign to infiltrate the media with pro-war propaganda. The scheme reaches all the way to the Bush White House, where top officials recruited dozens of "military analysts" to spread favorable views of the war via every major news channel -- without revealing they were working from Pentagon scripts and often lobbying for major military contractors. Spreading "covert propaganda" is illegal under federal law. Congress must investigate these military pundits and their ties to the Bush administration, defense contractors and our national news media.

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● Scandalized HUD Chief Got Royal Send Off

...and then! Bush's nomination to replace his corrupt HUD chief, in the midst of a foreclosure/housing crisis, has no expertise in housing issues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


● New HUD Nominee Has No Experience in Housing Issues

President Bush’s nominee to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development is coming under criticism, because he has no apparent background in housing issues. Last week, Bush nominated Steve Preston to replace outgoing Secretary Alphonso Jackson. Preston is currently head of the Small Business Administration. He is a former executive with ServiceMaster and was an investment banker with Lehman Brothers. Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd has questioned why Bush would select a nominee with no expertise in housing issues while the country is facing the biggest housing crisis in recent history.

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● Gallup Daily: Obama Regains Lead Over Clinton, 49% to 42%A sharp reversal of the tightening of the race seen late last week

● Washington Post: Bush Worst Ever!

● A former high-ranking Justice Department official was accused Monday of criminal conflict of interest in the latest case stemming from the investigation of disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

● McCain says winning over black voters will be tough(bd: Yeah, John! Especially since there's ZERO BLACK REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS!)

● In April 1997, Ed Rendell -- then the mayor of Philadelphia and currently the governor of Pennsylvania and a major Clinton surrogate -- delivered a passion-filled speech lauding the work of Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.

● 84 Lumber "Getting Access" to $590 million…what does THAT mean? Is that our tax money or not? Why isn't that made clear in this article?

● Royal Bank of Scotland said Tuesday it had suffered $11.7 billion in additional losses and was forced to raise $23.9 billion in new capital to cover exposure to toxic U.S. loans.

● If the 77 percent drop in Bank of America's first-quarter earnings is any indication, the economy may have a long way to go before it works out the problems that began with the subprime mortgage crisis. The nation's largest retail bank on Monday quintupled the money it set aside for loans that go sour, and hinted that consumer weakness and the housing slump means that things will not get better for it, or for the economy, for some time.

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● Pentagon agency that created spy bugs declines to allow scientist to talk

"Kill the Robo-bug" (a poem by Big Dan)

At the protest, Gathered 'round. Suddenly, I hear a sound.

DAMN YOU, ROBO-BUG!
DAMN YOU, ROBO-BUG!

On my arm, I turn in fright! Giant metal bug, Do he bite?

DAMN YOU, ROBO-BUG!
DAMN YOU, ROBO-BUG!

Grab my sign, above this flea... raise it up, Do he see?

DAMN YOU, ROBO-BUG!
DAMN YOU, ROBO-BUG!

I slam it down, He fly away, I broke my arm! No fucking way!

DAMN YOU, ROBO-BUG!
DAMN YOU, ROBO-BUG!